Historical November–December 2009 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
A New Year and Changes at St. Roch School A conversation with St. Roch principal Gloria Openlander introduced me to innovations at St. Roch, continuing the new approaches of previous years. Openlander is very proud of the St. Roch Middle School Math Project.
This project is guided by Dr. Riuchard Lodholz, a math consultant and author of numerous papers, journal articles and textbooks.
The project stresses the early teaching of algebra.
Each 8th grader will study algebra for a full year.
This will enable many students to take an accelerated math program in high school. Dr. Lodholz will team-teach some of the lessons with Paul Shaver of the St. Roch faculty. Mr. Shaver is also a participant in Mathematicians in Residence Teachers and Mentors Working with Grade 6. St. Roch School continues to use SMART board technology.
This year, the preschool room has its own board. St. Roch computer teacher (and neighborhood resident) received her SMART board certification.
She is the only certified teacher in St. Louis’s Catholic schools.
In addition, St. Roch was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Innovative Technology Education Fund of Missouri for professional development target to non-public schools. Thanks to the generosity of Father Vince Bommarito at St. Ambrose, the pre-school play area is now covered in astro-turf, making it easier on little knees. Princeton Partnership performed this work.
There is also brand new furniture in the computer room and new ceiling tiles in the older of the two buildings.
There is new tile in four classroom floors, laid by Steve Schiller at Colonial Rug Co. Even in these difficult times, St. Roch’s student body has grown by 12 to a total of 228.
The school is now accepting kindergarten and preschool registration for the 2010-11 school year.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 2009.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source prints Riuchard Lodholz and omits computer teacher name; no guessed name supplied.
Original source: SD_Times2009_11.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
